Presenter(s): Elisa Carvallo − Spanish
Faculty Mentor(s): Lanie Millar
Oral Session 3O
Research Area: Latin American Studies
La mulata has been a topic of fascination in the Afro-Latin American Literature for more than two centuries. In the Caribbean poetry of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, la mulata has served as a muse to many poets. In the eyes of the white men, la mulata was an exotic seductress. On the contrary, in the eyes of mulato men, she would never be as pure as a white woman. No matter the poet’s opinion of her, la mulata continued appearing as a subject of conversation and inspiration in many of their works. These poets had much to say about her, but what did la mulata think of herself? Of course, due to the patriarchal hierarchy that dominated the Caribbean culture at the time, many mulata poets did not have the opportunity to write, let alone publish their own works. But, those who were able to, provided a new image of la mulata who had not yet been able to emerge. Poems about la mulata, written by mulatas, allow readers to take a look at the self-image that la mulata struggled to understand and accept. These works go beyond the physical and biological traits of la mulata and expose her mind and soul.